


Never Let Me Go

by stellugh



Category: One Tree Hill
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-04 13:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1780270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellugh/pseuds/stellugh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lucas Scott realises he's made a mistake choosing the curly haired blonde over the cheery brunette, how will he redeem himself and be able to win Brooke back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**_So hold me close and never let me, never let me go, at my lowest of lows, when I need you the most._ **

 

_"How could you cheat on me with my best friend?"_

_"Brooke, I never meant to hurt you."_

_"That doesn't really matter, Lucas, 'cause in the end it all hurts just the same."_

 

The thoughts flooded back through Lucas' head. He had no idea why he was thinking about her so much. Brooke Davis. He was sure he had made the right choice when he picked the curly-haired, blonde to be his girlfriend, but now it was all different. They had been happy, except it never felt  _real._  It all seemed too cliché and forced, half of the time it felt like he was kissing his sister. The truth is, it was obvious that they were supposed to be together: she was the tortured artist, he was the tortured athlete. They were a picture perfect couple. Lucas knew this, but deep down inside, he didn't want that: he wanted to escape the ordinary and take risks. He wanted Brooke Davis. 

Brooke had been talking to Peyton and Lucas again, she had decided to forgive them, she too was certain that Lucas and Peyton were destined for one another. Who was she to stand in the way of true love? Brooke and Peyton were now talking regularly, and going to the mall like nothing was wrong. Lucas, on the other hand, she was more reluctant to get close to; she couldn't let herself get hurt all over again.

There was a tapping on Lucas' bedroom door, as he looked to the window and saw the familiar tall, sleek silhouette of his girlfriend. "It's open" Lucas called out, as she twisted the knob, and stepped inside his room, closing the door behind her.

"Hi.." she gave a small smile and took a deep breath, walking closer to the bed. Lucas gave his mattress a light tap, signalling for her to take a seat. They sat in a comfortable silence. The silence was broken by Peyton. "I know you still like her, Luke. Anyone can see that." Lucas looked at her, his eyes wide, not really understanding the words that had just exited her mouth. Her voice didn't sound angry or agitated though, it was more of an understanding tone, like she knew how he was feeling. 

"I don-" 

"Lucas" she laughed. "I see how you look at her in complete awe when she walks past you in the corridor, or gives you a playful tap on the back. I see the way you nuzzle your face into the crook of her neck, and hold her hair when she hugs you. I see how you truly feel, and there's no point in denying it, or getting angry, because I feel the same way." Lucas gave her a look of confusion. "Oh, no. I don't feel that way about Brooke, oh my gosh. I meant Jake Jagielski." Lucas nodded at her words, he should've seen that coming. 

He felt like he should do something, say something that would make it all better; perhaps he should proclaim his undying love for her - but that wouldn't have been honest, and believe me, there are already way too many lies floating around in Tree Hill. "I guess that's it then.." he gave a slight sigh, wishing that he hadn't have even started this relationship with Peyton, if he knew that he would want Brooke back eventually. 

"I guess it is" she stated, again flashing her small smile, and shrugged in defeat. "C'mere" she said soothingly, as she leaned in for a hug, and took in his scent, knowing it was the last time they would hug as a couple. She stood up and walked over to the door.

"Oh, Peyton?" Lucas said, as she turned back around. "Thank you"

"For what?" she asked, confused.

"Helping me realise what it is that I truly want." he admitted, with a grin.

Peyton gave him one last smile, before twisting the knob, and leaving Lucas' room. Lucas walked over to his dresser and opened his drawer, pulling out a picture of him and Brooke that had been taken at Karen's Cafe when they were dating. "She looked so happy.." he whispered, speaking his thoughts. That picture was taken two weeks before they split up.

 _"How could you cheat on me with my best friend?"_ Her words went through him like a knife. He sat down on his bed, leaning against the headboard. Getting her back sure wasn't going to be easy. Lucas decided to text her, ask her if she wanted to talk over a coffee: of course, he wasn't going to pour his heart out to her tonight, but he could at least make a start.

**L: 'hey brooke wanna go grab some coffee later?'**

**B: 'sure thing, i've got lots to tell you hehe. meet at karen's cafe for 5?'**

**L: 'i'll be there :-)'**

Lucas smiled, knowing he was going to see her this evening. He closed his phone and waited for 5pm to eventually come.

* * *

 

"Jake? You home?" Peyton asked, knocking on his door. 

"Yeah, one sec Peyt" he said back, obviously tending to Jenny. He opened the door, a wide grin slivering onto his face. The same grin that had made Peyton fall for him. Yes, she was in love with him: she had been for some time now. "Come on in" he offered smoothly, pulling the door open wider, allowing her to enter. Jenny flashed Peyton a toothless grin, and reached her miniature arms up in the air.

"Hey, Jenny. How's my favourite girl?" Peyton cooed, picking Jenny up from her crib, planting a tender kiss on her forehead.

"So, what're you doing here?" Jake asked. "You never just swing by for no reason" he suggested, with suspicion in his voice. Peyton looked at the ground instantly, and sighed. "Come take a seat, tell me all your problems.." Peyton placed Jenny back into her crib, and gave her her car keys: Jenny loved them.

Jake placed himself next to Peyton on the couch. She took a deep breath in before announcing "me and Lucas broke up."

"Oh, that's terrible. I'm so sorry!" he grabbed Peyton's hands. "Anything you need, I'm here for you."

"Thanks" she replied "but it was kind of a mutual agreement, we're still on good terms." a soft smile on her lips.

"Aha, that's good" Jake said "then I go back to my original question; what are you doing here?" he said in confusion, laughing a little.

"Jake, listen." she stated imperatively. "I'm not here seeking comfort, I wanted to let you know that I like you. Heck, I'm in love with you! I have been for a long time. I understand if you don't feel that way, but I didn't want to keep it all bottled up, when I could just come clean with you." she breathed in relief, just glad that she didn't have to keep it in any longer.

"I was really hoping you were going to say that." he said seductively, a smirk etched onto his lips. He crashed his lips into hers, running his hands through her golden locks, as she returned the favour. He slid his tongue across her bottom lip, requesting permission to enter, she accepted his request and let his tongue slide into her mouth, meeting hers and dancing together in perfect harmony. The sparks were palpable. It was more meaningful than any kiss she'd shared with Lucas. It felt more real. She smiled into the kiss, thinking about how long she'd waited for this. They both pulled away when they heard a squeak of delight coming from Jenny's crib, she was smiling at them. Even she knew they were meant to be.

* * *

 

Brooke sat in Karen's Cafe, waiting patiently for Lucas to arrive. She was really excited to be spending some time with him. After all, she never saw him that often now that he was with Peyton. She checked the time: 4:56pm.  _'Where is he?'_  she thought. She tutted at herself.  _'It's not even 5pm yet, stop being stupid. He's not going to stand you up.'_ Stand up? Did she really just think that? It wasn't a date. He had Peyton. She sighed, remembering how much she missed his touch; the way he'd nuzzle his face into her neck and call her 'Pretty Girl.' Her heart ached at the thought.

The door opened, there he was. The gorgeous, blonde boy who had broken her ever fragile heart. "Brooke" he said happily, almost a whisper, as he stepped over to her and coated her in a warm hug, she embraced his broad figure, as he positioned his face into the crook of her neck and held her hair. She pulled away from him, not sure if she had imagined that or not. "Hey" he said smoothly "how're you doin'?"

"Well between juggling dates, being student body president and going shopping, I've been pretty darn good." She laughed at her own comment, and so did he, he loved her humour. That was why he'd been so interested in her in the first place. Not to mention her warm heart, and the person she was when you could see behind the façade. "How about you, loverboy? How's Peyt?" she asked politely.

"About that.." he uttered quietly. "We broke up.." he admitted.

"What? Why? You guys were so perfect together. Did you cheat on her? Lucas! I can't believe you'd do that.. Well, actually I can, but that's besides the point."

"No, Brooke. It was more of a mutual ending. It wasn't what either of us wanted any more. We both realised a couple of things that we'd been keeping deep down." he said to her with reassurance. She nodded, understanding why he did it.

"Well, at least you're on good terms" she stated with approval.

"Speaking of.." he murmured. "Where are you and I at? Like with everything. I know we didn't end on the best of terms, but I'd like us to be back to how we were before. I don't want to lose any friends, or have any more drama to deal with. I just want it to be normal."

"Well, we're out for coffee aren't we? That's a start." she said with a grin, feeling the genuineness in his voice. "Look, Luke, I know we went through a couple of rough patches, but I'm willing to try again." He looked up at her with a startled expression on his face. Had she _really_ just said that? "As friends of course" she continued. "We wouldn't any more drama now, would we?" She flashed her gorgeous smile at him, making the butterflies he already had in his stomach intensify. "Oh shit, I should probably get going, I have official President stuff to be doing right now." She stood up and embraced him in a hug, resting her hand on his neck like she always did when they were dating, causing his heart to skip a beat. "See you later gorgeous!" She giggled as she walked to the door of Karen's Cafe.

"Bye, Pretty Girl." he called after her, making her stop in her tracks, before continuing on and exiting the cafe. Had he actually just called her the same nickname given to her when they were a couple? The nickname, the way he nuzzled into her: it all made sense now. He still liked Brooke, and that scared the shit out of her.


	2. Trying Not To Love You

_**Trying not to love you, only goes so far, and trying not to need you is tearing me apart.** _

 

Brooke sat on her bed, in a deserted house, surrounded only by her thoughts. 'I wonder what things would have been like if Lucas and I were still together..' she thought to herself, almost grinning at the idea of it. They'd be the power couple, completely in love, with nothing to tear them apart. He'd have opened up a little more, and revealed his wild side; she would've have tamed herself, and let her sensitive, caring side show. They would have changed each other: they were  _great_ for each other. Yet, there was still that doubt in her mind that he could hurt her again; she was falling for him the first time and he just happened to be the concrete ground that she would land upon, that would make her hurt and ache for months. What if he cheated on her again? He could be making a mistake. Maybe he doesn't even know what he wants.

Brooke gazed at her small alarm clock, planted on her bedside table: 1:43am. Was it really that late? With all of the thinking she must have lost track of time. She knew she shouldn't be thinking about him this much; he had broken her heart, and she assured herself she would never go there again, but part of her heart was still with him. He wasn't like the other guys, who just wanted her for sex.. Well, the sex was great, but he saw past the façade, and truly liked her for her. Eventually, the reoccurring thoughts made her sleepy, then she slowly fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

 

_Knock, knock!_ "Whaaat?" Brooke moaned drearily.

"It's Peyton, get up" she heard a muffled voice from the other side of the door. Peyton slowly opened the door to enter Brooke's room, but quickly slammed it shut when Brooke aimed a pillow right at Peyton's face. "Brooke, seriously, you're gonna be late for school."

"5 more minutes!" she groaned into her pillows. 

"Don't make me do it, Brooke.." 

Brooke looked up at the blonde, a scowl on her face. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I would." Peyton challenged, narrowing her eyes and darting towards Brooke. She pinned Brooke down and tickled her ribs viciously, causing Brooke to fall into a gigantic fit of laughter. Peyton toppled next to her and said "go and get ready, lazy."

Brooke frowned at Peyton, but managed to pull herself out of bed in defeat. She pulled a cute, white tank top and denim jeans out of her closet, and put them on. "Let's go, blondie!" she said cheerfully as they exited her bedroom. 

* * *

 

Peyton and Brooke pulled up into the school's parking lot and Lucas was already stood there waiting for them, a grin on his face as the car drove into it's usual spot. Lucas embraced Peyton in a friendly hug and then moved over to Brooke, pulling her in tight, his hand on the back of her head, never wanting to let go of her and just hold her forever. Finally, Brooke pulled away and gazed into his sparkling, blue eyes, almost forgetting that they weren't a couple. His hand slipped along hers, sending a shiver down her spine: she ached to have his touch constantly.

"Jake!" Peyton yelled, a vibrant smile etched onto her face.

"Hey, Peyt." Jake said, with a loving grin, pulling her in for a kiss. The kiss lasted a while, it was like they couldn't get enough of each other. Brooke and Lucas looked at each other awkwardly and laughed at the duo in front of them.

"Save it for the bedroom, slut." Brooke teased her best friend and gave her a wink. "Hey, Luke, you coming to English?" As much as he wanted to walk to class with her, he needed to talk to Peyton.

"I'll catch up with you." he said 

"Okay, see ya." she smile and gave a slight wave.

"Hey, Peyton. Can we talk?" Lucas asked.

"Sure thing, Luke. Jake.." Jake nodded in approval, knowing that Peyton wanted him to go elsewhere. "What's up?"

"How do I go about this whole Brooke situation? I want to tell her how I feel, but I don't want to scare her. I mean, she's probably still tender from the whole deal with you and me before. But, it's killing me not to be able to kiss her again or hold her hand. I just want her, Peyton." Lucas breathed an agitated sigh.

"Luke, Brooke is definitely scared about getting hurt again. I think she still likes you; I've seen how she looks at you, even when you don't notice it. She needs to have complete confirmation that you won't hurt her again, so prove yourself." Peyton stated knowingly.

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Peyt." Lucas walked away, smiling towards his ex-girlfriend as he turned away.

* * *

 

"Owch!" Brooke yelled, as she winced at the feel of paper hit her head. "Really? Who throws paper airplanes anymore? This isn't 5th grade, guys." Brooke turned around in disgust, looking for the culprit. She eyed Lucas and he winked at her, mouthing 'read it' to her. She picked the plane up off the floor and opened it. It read: 'fancy going to the carnival later?' Brooke turned around and gave Lucas a nod and flashed him a smile. She was excited until she thought 'oh shit, wait.. am I going on a date with Lucas Scott?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been meaning to update for a while now. Hopefully, everyone will enjoy this chapter. I added a bit of Breyton friendship in because I love their friendship so much. Plus, it's killing me not to get Brooke and Lucas back together straight away, but that would be a pretty boring story. Anyway, stay tuned, because I think the next chapter is going to be pretty fun and cute. :)


	3. Far From Home

_**Another day in this carnival of souls, another night settles in as quickly as it goes. The memories of shadows, ink on the page and I can't seem to find my way home.** _

* * *

 

Brooke sat at her vanity, applying the last layer of her cherry red lip gloss, and making sure her hair was perfect, checking for any strays and patting them down. Finally, when she was happy with how her face looked, she checked her outfit in her full body mirror: a pale pink jumper, along with some jeans and cute flats. There was a knock at her door, as she hopped with joy down the stairs, opening it to find Lucas leant against the door frame. "Hey, broody!" she said excitedly, stepping out of her house and closing her red door behind her. They headed towards Lucas' car, as he opened the door for her, letting her sit down and then closing it.

"How very gentlemanly of you" Brooke stated with a smirk, as Lucas sat in the drivers seat next to her. "I'm impressed." She gave him a wink, and then Lucas started the ignition, heading towards the carnival. 

* * *

"'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles, if I could just see you.... tonight." Brooke sang joyously. "I love this song!" she said with a squeak.

"Yeah, well have you ever heard of 'the driver picks the music' rule?" Lucas asked, taunting her playfully.

"Nope, that's definitely not a thing." Brooke lied, shaking off his comments and returned to singing along to the radio. Just then, they pulled up into the carnival. Tons of people were entering the grassy plain, full of a kaleidoscope of various colours and sounds. You could hear people screaming - some with joy, others with terror - and see the rides hurtling their victims around full throttle. "This is going to be  _so_ much fun!" Brooke yelled in excitement, almost throwing herself out of Lucas' car, running to the entrance with impatience. "Luke, hurry up!" 

"Hold on, Brooke. I'm coming!" He said, pulling out his wallet and handing a $10 to the guy at the booth, who handed them two wristbands. Brooke and Lucas both put them on their wrists and entered the carnival with wide grins. "So which one are we going on first?" Lucas asked.

"This one!" Brooke decided, pointing at a bunch of carts spinning around at an insane speed. "Oh, wait no, this one! Or this one.." The brunette ran from side to side, like a lost puppy, desperately trying to decide which one she wanted to go on. 

"Brooke, if you don't hurry up, I'm picking for you!" Lucas threatened, narrowing his eyes, before breaking out into laughter. 

"Ugh, fine. I choose.. that one." she looked up at the biggest rollercoaster there. Lucas gulped, almost sweating at the sight of it: he didn't want to admit it to Brooke, but he was terrified of heights. Brooke gave him a knowing look, and cocked one eyebrow up. "Looks like the brooder has turned into a chicken." she taunted him, clucking at him like a chicken, causing them to receive odd looks from passers by. 

"Brooke, stop it!" Lucas pleaded, placing his hands on her arms. "Or do I have to put you in a time out?" 

Brooke pouted at him, in mock hurt. "We're still going on the damn coaster, Scott" she demanded, heading towards the 150ft high ride.

* * *

 

Brooke and Lucas took their seats right at the very front of what was known as the 'Death-coaster.' Brooke could see that Lucas was unnerved, but he'd still agreed to sit at the front for her. He took several deep breaths in, as the operator checked that all of the barriers and safety belts were secure. Brooke intertwined her hand with Lucas', smiling at him a little. "It's going to be okay. I'm here for you." she assured him, giving his hand a squeeze. 

Then, the ride took off, inching further and further up the rails. As they reached the top, they hurtled down at maximum speed. Brooke screamed with delight, throwing her spare arm in the air, her other hand still intertwined with Lucas'. The ride took all types of twists and turns, going upside down and looping around. As the ride came to a halt, Brooke looked at an out of breath Lucas, who just appeared happy to still be alive. They got off the ride, and went to the merchandise booth, their picture came up on the screen: Brooke had a gigantic smile on her face; Lucas was looking at her, with a slight smile; their hands gripping tightly onto one another. Both Lucas and Brooke bought a copy, as well as the keyrings and mugs. "You guys make a cute couple" the lady at the counter had said when printing the pictures off for them; Brooke chuckled at the comment, but Lucas turned a bright shade of red.

"What now, cheery?" Lucas questioned her.

"I could eat." she suggested.

"Food it is then!" He said, making his way to the nearest food stand. "I'll take: two cokes, one large portion of fries and one candyfloss, please." The worker grabbed the ordered items and Lucas paid the required $6.50. He went and sat at a plastic table, accompanied by plastic chairs; Brooke was already sat there looking at their rollercoaster picture and smiling. Lucas put the food down on the table, and they pigged out on the fries, and took turns seeing if they could throw candyfloss into each other's mouths. "You're useless at this game!" Lucas said with a laugh.

"Yeah, well not all of us shoot hoops 24/7, Lucas!" Brooke teased him. "Anyway, I don't want to play this game any more, it's stupid." Brooke turned her head away from him, crossing her arms angrily. Lucas could only look at her and chuckle.

"You're such a sore loser, Davis." Lucas pointed out, chucking a fry at her face, hitting her right on the nose.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that, Scott!" Brooke told him, narrowing her eyes and launching at him, pushing him off his chair and landing on top of him. She began tickling him all around his torso and ribs, making him cry with laughter. 

"Okay, okay! You win, Brooke. Get off me!" He shouted, still fighting the urge to laugh.

"That's what I'm talking about!" She grinned, getting up off the floor and swiping her hands together. 

"At least help me up." Lucas pleaded, reaching a hand up. Before she knew it, she was on the floor next to Lucas. "Now we're even!" He told her, a smirk etched onto his face. 

"I hate you!" she said, sadly. "This jumper is Prada, and you are totally paying for it if it's wrecked!" She stuck her tongue out at him and they both got up. "I think it's time I went home." She suggested, yawning loudly. 

"Gosh, you're such a lightweight! It's only 11pm." Lucas taunted her. 

"Shut up." she demanded, jokingly. 

* * *

 11:30pm and they were once again stood outside of Brooke's infamous red door. "Well, this is me." Brooke told Lucas.

"Brooke, I know that. I've been here several times." Lucas informed her, with confusion.

"Shut up, you totally know what I meant." She punched his shoulder, teasingly. "Goodnight, Luke." she said, sincerity taking over her voice, as she planted a tender kiss on his cheek, sending a surge of electricity throughout his body, before entering her house, leaving Lucas stood outside her door, dumbfounded by what had just happened. He put his fingers to his cheek, longing to feel her lips on his skin again. 

* * *

 

When Lucas returned home, he went over to his closet, removing a small, wooden box from the shelf inside. He went and sat on his bed, placing the box on his lap and opening it. Inside was a picture of him and Brooke from when they were dating, a lost feather from her Halloween costume last year, and the necklace that she had given to him as a present. He smiled at the contents of the petite box and removed his carnival wristband, placing it inside with all of the other keepsakes he had from his past relationship with Brooke. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter. It's just so fluffy and cute. It may seem all a bit sudden, but there's plenty more twists and turns, so keep reading!


	4. All Too Well

_**I walked through the door with you, the air was cold, but something 'bout it felt like home somehow and I left my scarf there at your sister's house, and you've still got it in your drawer even now.** _

* * *

The ball fell into the hoop with ease as the infamous Nathan Scott launched it into the air. "So, who's the lucky girl?" Nathan asked.

Lucas shook himself out of his daydream. "Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about." Lucas retorted.

"Really? Then can you explain why you're spacing out, with some freaky grin on your face instead of focusing on the game?" Nathan questioned him, smugly. "And, I'm guessing that it's probably not Peyton, since you guys broke up, it's probably not Haley, because if it was, I would punch you in the face, so that leaves... Hm, Brooke?" Lucas instantly turned red at the sound of her name, faint butterflies starting to form in his stomach. "Oh dude, it totally is!" He continued, laughing at his bright, red brother. 

"Yes, if you must know. I like Brooke." Lucas informed Nathan, rolling his eyes playfully. 

"Bro', you cheated on her. I doubt she'll want anything to do with you." Nathan said, half joking, half serious.

"Actually, Nathan, we went out for coffee the other day and went to the carnival together yesterday." Lucas told him, pulling out his keychain of the photo of him and Brooke on the rollercoaster, smiling and holding hands, as some sort of proof. 

Nathan nodded in defeat. "Holding hands already, get in there Luke!" He smiled at his older brother, before continuing on. "Look, you guys obviously make each other happy, but Brooke is one of my best friends, and I swear to God, if you ever hurt her again it will be the end of you. So, you better make sure it works out this time, or it's bad news for you." Nathan told him, as he nodded in agreement.

"It's different this time, Nate. I can feel it. I get butterflies whenever she's around, or even when someone says her name. I just know this time, man." Lucas said sincerely, images of Brooke clouding his mind. 

"You better be right." Nathan told him, tossing the basketball at the hoop.

* * *

 

"Okay, everybody take 5!" Brooke yelled to the cheer squad, before walking over to the stands, grabbing her towel and water bottle. 

"Did you have a good time last night?" Peyton asked Brooke, biting her lip.

"Yeah it was fun! I had a really good time. You should have come!" Brooke informed her eagerly.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "I should've been there? Brooke, puh-lease, you and I both know that last night was a date. D-A-T-E. Date. He totally has the hots for you." Peyton suggested mischievously. 

"He so does not! I mean, there was a little while that I thought he might have still liked me, but I've figured it out: he's just trying to make up for what he did before, with the whole y'know boyfriend/best friend cheating scenario." Brooke said matter-of-factly.

"Whatever. You're dumb. Bye." Peyton said profoundly, before turning away from Brooke and joining the other cheerleaders.

"Well if it isn't my favourite cheer captain!" Brooke turned around to find Lucas stood behind, grinning.

"I'm the only cheer captain you know.." Brooke told him, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"Okay, if you don't accept my compliment, I'm taking it back. 3... 2... 1.." 

"Fine, fine. I'm your favourite cheer captain! And you're my favourite basketball player called Lucas." She grinned at him, sticking her tongue out. 

"So how're you doing, cheery?" Lucas questioned her.

"Eh, well my house is being renovated, so it smells like paint and stuff and this morning I had to change outfits because some dumb painter guy spilled his damn paint all over my favourite Gucci t-shirt." she told Lucas with a pout.

"Well, you could stay at mine if you'd like." Lucas suggested.

"Nah, I'm okay. I think I'll just crash at Peyton's. Thanks anyway." 

"The thing is, your parents called my mom and kinda asked if you could stay with us for a few months, because they think you need a parental figure around." Lucas told her, as a dumbstruck look appeared on her face.

"That's about  _the_ dumbest thing I've ever heard!" She yelled, crossing her arms with aggression. "A parental figure? Like I have one ever. Jeez." 

"Oh, here's me thinking you'd want to stay with me for a few months, but it's fine, I guess." Lucas slowly turned away, frowning in exaggeration.

"No, I do want to stay with you. I guess we could make this fun. Bunking with my best friend, I am so okay with this! Thank you mom and dad." Brooke said to him, a vibrant smile upon her gorgeous face. 

* * *

 

Lucas hauled the last of several of Brooke's bags into her new room, formerly his room. "How do you have so much stuff?" he asked in amazement, collapsing on the bed with exhaustion. 

"There's this thing called 'Stores have cute clothes, cute clothes cost money, I have money, I buy the cute clothes'" she said, as if it were obvious. "So, where are you staying?" 

"On the couch for now." Lucas told her.

"I can sleep on the couch if you want, I don't want to inconvenience you!" She informed him, feeling kind of bad that she was taking over her room.

"Don't worry about it, anything for my best friend." Lucas said with a smile. "Come on, dinner's ready." he told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into the kitchen. "What's cookin' good lookin'?" Lucas asked his mother, Karen.

"On the menu tonight: roast beef, salad, fries, and for desert chocolate ice-cream. Sound good?" Karen told them, knowing their answer instantly by the way they were both licking their lips, and nodding as though they were in a trance. "So, Brooke, you settling in good so far?" Karen asked her, placing a plate in front of her.

"Yes, thanks. You have a beautiful home!" Brooke told her, cutting up her beef with the given cutlery, then placing some of the meat into her mouth. "Not to mention the food is great. I really could get used to this!" She told Karen with a laugh.

"Well, thank you, Brooke!" Karen expressed, a huge grin on her face. "It's been so long since I saw you last! I think the last time was just after you and Lucas had ended." Lucas turned bright red again, and starting pushing his food around on his plate. "Lucas, stop playing with your food. You aren't five!" Lucas gave her a nod, and started eating his dinner appropriately. "Now, I think it's time I set some ground rules. I know you two have a past and -"

Karen was cut off by Brooke. "Oh, don't worry Karen! We're just friends, nothing more. Right, Lucas?" Brooke asked him, desperation in her voice.

"Just friends." he stated simply.

"Oh, right okay then." Karen replied. "Just no funny business, okay?" 

"Mom!" Lucas pleaded.

"Alright, I'm sorry!" She laughed.

* * *

 

After dinner, Brooke and Lucas were sat on the bed in her room. "Your mom's the best" Brooke told him, smiling widely.

"Yeah, she is pretty cool, isn't she? Now you know where I get it from!" He teased.

"You certainly don't get it from your dad" she scowled, as he frowned. That was still a fairly touchy subject for him, seeing as now he was friends with Nathan, and Dan wasn't too pleased about that. "Oh, sorry. I have a big mouth" she apologised, frowning slightly.

"It's okay, Brooke." he smiled a little. "Anyway, I've gotta go shower. Will you be fine putting away the rest of your stuff?" 

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll talk to you later." She smiled at him as he left the room.

She opened the closet, placing various items of clothing onto coat hangers and hanging them on the railing. After they were all hung, she rearranged them into colour order, and then again into size order. Then, she decided it would be best to put them in order of cuteness instead. When she was moving her clothes, her green eyes caught sight of a small wooden box alone on the top shelf of the closet. She bit her lower lip deviously, looking around to check the coast was clear, and closing her door. She reached up grabbing the box from the shelf, and went and sat on the bed with it. She sat for a little while, contemplating whether or not she should open it, it was a total invasion of privacy, but she couldn't help herself: she was so drawn to it. She took a deep breath in before slowly opening the lid, and gasped when she saw what was inside: a picture of her and Lucas from when they were dating, the necklace she had bought him, the red feather from her old Halloween costume, a ticket from the local gig they had gone to together and the wristband from the carnival. Brooke brought her hand to her mouth, tears strolling down her face. The knob to her door started to twist, so she quickly slammed the box shut and hid it under her pillow. It was Lucas.

"Sorry, I just realised that I left my pyjamas in here." he informed her apologetically. "You ok?" he asked with worry, seeing the water dripping from her swollen eyes. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. It just kinda hit me that I won't be living in my own home for the next 3 months." she lied to him.

"Oh, I see." he said understandingly, going over to her and embracing her in a tight hug. "I'm here for you if you ever need to talk."

"Thanks, Luke. Same for you." she told him, as he left her room.

"Night, Pretty Girl."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I kinda wanted to throw that in as the first obstacle in the way of Brucas. Hopefully, you enjoy this chapter!


	5. Give You What You Like

_**Please wrap your drunken arms around me, and I'll let you call me yours tonight. 'Cause slightly broken's just what I need, and if you give me what I want, then I'll give you what you like.** _

* * *

 

Brooke lay still, staring at the ceiling in her bedroom. She really didn't know how to feel about finding that box. Recently, she thought that Lucas did still like her, but she shrugged it off, thinking he was just trying to make amends, and thought that they could just stay friends again. She didn't know whether to be creeped out or flattered: maybe even a bit of both. He'd saved all of that stuff. All of  _her_ stuff. One thing she was unsure of was how to approach the situation. Talk to Lucas about it or just try and forget about it. Hell, she knew for a fact she couldn't forget about it, it would just eat her up inside. 'I'll talk to him' she thought to herself, taking a deep breath in, still trying to process the situation. _  
_

As if on cue, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Brooke made her way to the door, making sure she was presentable, checking for any dampness on her cheeks. She opened the wooden door, of course Lucas was stood on the other side.

"Hey. You okay? I haven't heard from you all day." he asked her, concern in his smooth voice.

"I'm fine, just feeling a little crappy. I think I might have the flu or something." she told him. Lies. All lies. 

"Oh, right. You want me to make you some chicken soup? I make a mean chicken soup." he suggested, a small smile making it's way onto his face. Brooke smiled back, his cuteness was almost unbearable. Plus, he did make a pretty darn good chicken soup. He'd made it for her when they were dating. _When they were dating._

Tell him. Do it, Brooke. Tell him. You know you want to. These were the very thoughts that circled through Brooke's mind, giving her a headache. "Lucas, I need to talk to you about something." she admitted.

"Of course. Anything." 

"I..I. Um." Lucas gave her a confused look, as she stumbled over her words, uncertain what to say or how to say it. "Um, your chicken soup isn't that good." she lied. Again.

"Brooke!" he said with shock, his mouth hanging open. "You and I both know that that is a total lie. Seriously, what's up with you?" He put his hand on hers, showing his truly affectionate side. She loved that about him.  _Loved._

'Count to three, and just come out with it' her thoughts told her. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in. "Lucas, I-"

"Dinner!" Karen called from the kitchen. Brooke stopped in her tracks, getting up and walking to the kitchen; Lucas followed behind Brooke, a concerned look etched onto his ever-brooding face. 

"We'll pick this up later." Lucas told Brooke. He wondered if he'd done something wrong. What if she hated him? Was it something he said? He replayed the past week or so in his head, thinking of all the possibilities of what he could have done wrong. Nothing came to mind. He tried to shrug it off and enjoy his dinner, but it kept nagging him and constantly coming to the front of his mind. 

* * *

 

After dinner, Lucas followed Brooke back to her room. "So, where were we?" he asked her. 

Brooke looked down. She needed time to fully think through what she was going to say. "Lucas, can we do this another time? I'm pooped, I just wanna go to sleep, okay?" she gave him an apologetic look, but quickly tore her eyes away from him, knowing she'd probably burst into tears if she gazed at him for too long.

"Sure." he said, firmly. Leaving the room, just like he was asked. 

Brooke sighed deeply. There was only one thing she could do: ask Peyton. Brooke picked up her cell, and dialled her best friend's number. After three long rings, Peyton picked up the phone.

"B. Davis? What's up?" 

"I need your help, Peyt."

"Well, maybe if you spit it out, I can be of some service."

"So, I was rearranging my clothes into order of cuteness, because obviously blues are in right now-"

"And your point is what exactly?"

"Long story short, I found a little box in Lucas' closet and I know it was totally wrong of me to do, but I opened it and I found a little collection of stuff from our relationship, like a photo of us, his necklace, a feather from my costume, tickets to a gig we went to and the carnival wristband from last weekend. I don't know what to do, please help me out P. Sawyer."

"Talk to him."

"I should have known you'd be no help."

"Davis! You  _need_ to talk to him. Communication is key. Wouldn't you like to know what could have been? Now, you didn't hear this from me, but Lucas still likes you, and I'm getting this vibe that you're still into him."

"You think so? I dunno, Peyton. I'd be scared of getting hurt again."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't kiss him this time." Brooke could almost hear her grinning down the phone.

"Not funny! But I guess you're right. Thanks P. Sawyer, you did a good job. Night."

"Love you B. Davis." And with that, the call ended. 

* * *

 

Lucas woke to the sound of floorboards creaking. He switched on the light, thinking he was about the hit an intruder. Instead, he saw Brooke stood by his new bed, the couch, grinning slightly. "Oh, Brooke. You scared me." Lucas breathed heavily, his heart still beating rapidly.

"I couldn't sleep." she admitted. "We need to carry on that conversation now."

Lucas nodded, as they both made their way to the couch, sitting beside each other. "Okay.." 

"Long story short, I found the box in your closet." He sighed, and instantly looked towards the floor. "Okay, I have a lot to say, so please don't interrupt." Lucas nodded in agreeance. "I didn't know what to think at first, I mean before I kinda thought that you were into me, but then I figured you were just trying to make up for the whole 'cheating on me with my best friend' scenario." Lucas winced at her words, he still wished he hadn't done that. "I kinda went back and forth between thinking it was creepy and thinking it was sweet. It is kinda both though. But I've had a lot of time to think about this, plus some wise words from P. Sawyer, who told me that I needed to talk to you, and think about what we could have been. I understood at first, but I'm still terrified of getting heartbroken again, because you hurt me  _so_ bad before."

"Brooke-" Lucas began.

"I said no interrupting Lucas. I have an offer to propose." He looked at her, his eyes clouded with confusion and curiosity. "Non-exclusive dating."

"Isn't that basically friends with benefits?" he questioned her, as she rolled her eyes.

"Lucas, I am not that trashy! It means, we see each other, go on dates and of course do  _other_ stuff, but we still get to see other people." 

Lucas sighed. He didn't want this, but if it meant he could kiss Brooke and at least be somewhat closer to being with her, then it was an offer that he wasn't willing to refuse. "I'm game." he replied. 

"Great. So, how about we start now?" She asked him seductively, biting her lip. Before, he could answer, she was straddling his waist, their lips forcefully pressed together. Oh god, he had wanted to taste her again for so long. Lucas tried to take control of the kiss, pressing harder against her lips, pushing his tongue into her mouth, one hand grabbing the back of her head, the other resting on her cheek. Brooke felt something pushing against her lower regions, she pulled away from the kiss, smirking at Lucas. "Down boy." she said to him, as she got off of Lucas' lap. He pouted, as she walked back to her room, and he pressed his fingers to his lips.

He had just kissed Brooke Davis. Brooke Davis had just kissed him. He wished that the kiss could have lasted longer, but then looked at his bulge, cursing his hormones for getting the better of him. He pulled the blanket over him, and drifted off into a deep sleep, dreaming about Brooke Davis all night long. _  
_


	6. Situations

_**Situations are irrelevant now. She loves the way that I tease, I love the way that she breathes.** _

* * *

 Lucas flopped down on the bed beside Brooke, both of them heavily panting. Karen was away for a month, visiting Andy in New Zealand and Brooke had suggested that her and Lucas make the most of it by having some fun. Brooke rolled onto her side, and placed her hand onto her non-exclusive boyfriend's chest.

"Did I ever tell you that you're the best I've ever had?" she whispered to him seductively, nibbling gently on his ear, which made him moan slightly. 

He turned to face her. "Well, I'm truly honoured! If it counts for anything, you're probably the second best I've ever had." Brooke's mouth unhinged, taken back by his comment. "Kidding! I'm totally joking. I think you might just be the best at sex ever, wow."

"That's what I like to hear." She smiled at him, before Lucas cupped her cheeks in his hands, placing a passionate kiss down onto her tender lips. As she pulled away from the kiss, Lucas sighed slightly. He wanted more: not this whole charade that they had created. He wanted to be her boyfriend, he wanted to be able to call her Pretty Girl without hesitance, he wanted to be able to kiss her and hold her hand in public and let all of the other guys know that she was with him and he would never be letting her go. But what did he have? The occasional fling with Brooke, having to see her flirt continuously with some meat-head jocks, and the inability to call her his girlfriend. 

"I should probably go." Lucas suggested sadly, needing to clear his head.

"Are you sure? I mean, I was thinking we could go for round 2." she told him with a wink. Lucas replied with a shake of the head.

"I'm not feeling too good. I'll catch you later." Lucas lied, leaving her room without another word. Brooke shrugged, not thinking too much of it, and began to replace her clothes onto her body.

* * *

 "Non-exclusive dating? That's dumb, even for you, Brooke." Peyton began. 

"I thought it was pretty smart. I mean, Lucas and I get to have some fun with each other, while seeing other people at the same time. No strings attached. No heartbreak." Brooke managed to say through the lump forming in her throat. 

"Brooke. Think about Lucas. This obviously isn't what he wants, don't be selfish."

"Oh, like he was selfish when he was cheating on me with  _you_." Brooke snapped, glaring at Peyton. 

"Listen here, Brooke, 'cause I'm only going to warn you once: don't say shit like that to me ever again. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to help you two get back together and make things right. Neither of you are going to be truly happy with this whole non-exclusive arrangement, and you know it." Peyton told her, coolly. 

"Sorry, I guess you're right." Brooke sighed. "But, I just don't want it to happen yet. I'm not ready." 

Peyton nodded in agreement. "You do what you want, I just don't care for this idea very much. Just don't ruin things, okay?" Brooke responded to her question with a slight nod. "So, what d'ya say we go underwear shopping?" Peyton suggested with a smile.

"I like the way you think, P. Sawyer! I mean I have to look nice when me and Lucas-"

"Too much information, Brooke!" Peyton stopped her. "Can we just go?" Brooke linked her arm with Peyton's and they headed off in the direction of the nearest underwear store.

* * *

 "So you're actually going along with it?" Haley James Scott looked at her best friend, dumb-founded. Lucas nodded awkwardly. "That is so stupid, Luke, and you know it!" She continued on. "I know you like her, and I've known you long enough to know that you wouldn't go along with something like this for a girl you didn't truly like and want to be with."

"This is what she wants, Hales! If I don't go along with this, I might not have a chance with her at all." He sighed.

Haley gave him a soothing pat on the back. "Lucas, you just need to give it some time. She'll come through eventually. Or..."

Lucas raised an eyebrow at Haley. "Or what?"

"You could play her at her own game."

"How so?" Lucas questioned her, intrigued.

"Tease her, play hard to get, date other girls." 

"I dunno, Hales. What if it doesn't work?" Lucas suddenly lost hope.

"Look, she's going on a date with that Koby guy tonight, right?" Lucas nodded in reply. "Well, she's playing the field, why can't you? At the moment, she's got you wrapped around her little finger, show her that you know her game, and that you're playing it too."

"Haley, did I ever tell you that you're my best friend?" Lucas asked with a smile.

"Eh, maybe once or twice.." Haley replied, laughing. "Anyway, I've gotta go and be a wife. Good luck!" Lucas watched her walk away and gave her a wave. Oh, how he loved his best friend.

* * *

 

"SHE IS SUCH A BITCH, OH MY GOD!" Brooke yelled in annoyance to the other cheerleaders, who babbled responses of agreement. The 'bitch' that they were referring to was the new, red-headed girl, Rachel Gatina. As soon as she'd walked through the doors of Tree Hill High, she'd been throwing snide remarks at Brooke, who had, at first, been trying to take her under her wing, but Rachel insisted that she wasn't in need of any help from someone "who clearly didn't do as much exercise as they needed to." 

Now, they saw Rachel flirting with Jake and Lucas, who were innocently on their way to basketball practice. "She is so gonna get it!" Peyton shouted, with immense fury. Peyton and Brooke stormed over to the bitchy red head, who was flipping her hair over her shoulder and giggling flirtatiously. Brooke tapped her on her shoulder. Rachel turned around and scowled as soon as she saw the female duo stood behind her. 

"Oh, it's the frumpy squad. Can I help you?" Rachel said, bitchily of course.

"Actually, you can" Brooke began. "You could call me an ambulance, because I think I'm going to need this finger amputated after touching your nasty skin." Brooke started to wipe her fingers onto the shoulder of her cheer shirt. 

"Sorry about this boys, I have these sluts to deal with." Rachel apologised to Lucas and Jake who were stood there dumb-founded.

"That slut happens to be my girlfriend." Jake inserted himself into the conversation, putting his arm around his blonde lover. 

"Oh, that's a shame. You could do a lot better." Rachel shrugged. "What about you?" she asked turning to Lucas, who was surprised and unknowing of what to say. "Got any female companions?"

"Uh, actually n-" he began. He was cut off by a pair of lips crashing into his forcefully. It was Brooke. Her hands fumbled through his golden hair, and she hoisted her legs around him, deepening the kiss. They were interrupted by a forced cough. When they pulled away, a crowd had gathered around them. 

Shouts of "get in there, Lucas!" "I thought they broke up?" "That was so hot" and "oh my god, she's so lucky!" came from the group surrounding them. Both Lucas and Brooke turned bright shades of red. Rachel just stood next to them, her arms folded, a devious grin on her face. 

"You guys clearly aren't a couple. Brooke, I know when someone is jealous. I mean, who wouldn't be jealous of me? Especially you: I'm thin, pretty and can have a new guy every night. You, on the other hand, look like you've gained weight since we started having this conversation." Brooke scowled at the new girl.

"Y'know, I'd really like to see things from your point of view, but I can't get my head that far up my own ass." Brooke retorted, as 'oohs' 'aahs' and 'ouch, burn' emerged from the crowd. 

"I really like what you did with your hair today! How did you get it to come out of your nostrils like that?" Brooke looked genuinely shocked, as did everyone around them. The brunette lunged at the red-head, only to be held back by her ex-boyfriend.

"LET ME AT HER, LET ME AT HER!" Brooke screamed, frantically kicking her legs in the air and trying to wriggle free of Lucas' grasp. Rachel just smirked, laughed and walked through the crowd, which parted for her like she was some kind of queen.

* * *

 

The whole house shook, as Brooke slammed the front door in rage. "Don't let it get to you!" Lucas told her. "She's just some girl. You're the gorgeous head cheerleader and the most popular girl in school, there's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?  _Nothing to worry about?_ She just embarrassed me in front of the whole school! My reputation is on the line here, Lucas. Plus, she came onto you." Brooke replied, still angry.

"Why do you care that she came onto me?" Lucas asked her, really intrigued now. "I thought we were 'non-exclusive.' You get to date other guys, I get to date other girls. So, why do you care? If anything, you should be happy!" 

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. "The problem is, it's her! The girl that's been calling me fat and ugly all day." Brooke stopped in her tracks. "You like her, don't you?" Lucas was about to interrupt, but was cut off by Brooke continuing to talk. "Fine. That's fine. I guess I deserve it. Wait, you think she's prettier than me! I'm not fat am I?" Tears started to form in Brooke's green eyes.

"Of course not, Brooke." Lucas assured her, putting an arm around her shoulder for comfort. Brooke leaned in to kiss Lucas, but he pulled away instantly. "Not tonight." He told her before walking to his room, leaving her in awe. No boy had ever turned her down for a kiss before. 

Lucas sat in his room, hoping and praying that Haley's advice was right. Otherwise, he may have just blown it all with Brooke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted friendship parts in this chapter, because I loved the friendships in the season 2-3 period. Also, I'm really trying to keep Brucas apart for a while and make it more interesting, but it's so hard for me to do! If you hadn't noticed, this fanfic is based loosely off of seasons 1-3, but I'm trying to differ it from the original. But, anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, it's quite a lot longer than the others so far, because I've had a whole day off school to think about it. :)


	7. One Of Those Girls

_**"She's one of those girls, they're nothing but trouble. Just one look and now you're seeing double. Before you know it she'll be gone, off the the next one."** _

* * *

 

Lucas was sat on the couch watching the end of a basketball game that was currently on the television, when Brooke came in and switched it off, causing Lucas' face to twist into a look of shock and disappointment. "I was watch-" Lucas began, but was cut off by Brooke straddling his waist in a pair of denim shorts and an extremely revealing vest top. 

"You were what?" Brooke questioned him teasingly, biting her pink lips with her dazzlingly white teeth. A couple of 'ums' and 'ahs' were all Lucas could squeeze through his lips, that were painfully close to Brooke's breasts. "That's what I thought." She stated, almost arrogantly. "So, I was thinking we could pick up where we left off this morning." Brooke suggested, about to crash her lips into Lucas'.

"Actually, I can't tonight. I have a date that I need to get ready for." He told her, lightly pressing against her shoulders with his hands, issuing for her to remove herself from his lap.

Brooke softly collapsed next to him on the couch and cocked an eyebrow with interest. "Oh, finally playing the field are we? Who's the girl?" 

"The 'girl' is Rachel Gatina." Lucas informed her, quickly looking up to check her reaction, which was, at first, slight shock, but she immediately shrugged it off as if it were nothing, wishing him the best of luck on his date. 

"So, where are you taking her?" Brooke asked, a hint of anger in her raspy voice. 

"Just to the cafe." Lucas replied.

"Oh my goodness, what a coincidence! That's where Koby and I are going for our date tonight! See you there, buddy." Brooke informed him, the anger still evident in her voice, before storming off to her room and getting ready for her date. All Lucas could do was watch her go, and sigh deeply hoping that Haley's advice was the right thing to do.

* * *

 

Brooke and Koby pulled up outside the locally famous Karen's Cafe. When they entered, Rachel and Lucas were already seated, laughing together, and just seemingly having a nice time. Brooke was most definitely  _not_ allowing that to happen. She refused to think of it as jealousy. She didn't like Lucas like that, well that's what she told herself on a regular basis. It was more of a problem with Rachel than anything. Truth be told, Rachel was undoubtedly a bitch, everyone was aware of that, and Brooke assured herself that that was the reason she couldn't allow Lucas to date her. 

"Put your arm around me." Brooke snapped at Koby, making him jump out of his daydream.

"Huh?" Koby replied in a daze.

"I said, put your arm around me, you dumbass." Brooke ordered him, once again. 

Koby furrowed his eyebrows at her, but followed her commands. He didn't particularly like being bossed around, but he figured that was the price he would have to pay in order to date the hottest girl in school, not to mention the head cheerleader, Brooke Davis.

Lucas shot a look in Koby and Brooke's direction. Brooke responded to Lucas' gaze by closing the already tight gap between herself and her date and kissing him lightly along his jawline. Koby started to respond to her kisses, by attempting to go for a full blown make out session. Brooke quickly darted away from his lips, suggesting that they save that for later. 

Brooke chose one of the comfy couches around the cafe for her and Koby to reside on, it was also 'coincidentally' the one the gave them the best view of Lucas and Rachel. Occasionally, Lucas would look up from his conversation to glance at the couple planted on the sofa, but they were pretty much just continuously heavily flirting or cuddling as though they were in a relationship. Rachel caught on to Lucas' gazes and followed the trail back to the pair of brunettes on the couch.

"Why don't we go somewhere else?" Rachel suggested, eagerly. Lucas, just wanting to get out of there before he lost it and broke Koby's jaw, agreed and followed her out of the cafe.

"I know the perfect place." Lucas assured her, and she followed him all the way to the infamous River Court. Lucas retrieved an abandoned basketball from underneath one of the picnic benches and tossed it to Rachel, who caught it, inches from her face.

"Wow, do you bring all your dates here?" Rachel scowled, but the light tone in her voice made Lucas aware that she was just teasing.

"Well, I was thinking I could teach you to perfect the free throw." 

Rachel glanced at him, a sparkle in her eyes. Without saying anything, she walked to the free throw line and threw the ball into the air, perfectly positioning her hands and body, sending the ball straight into the hoop. "You were saying?" She said cockily. 

"So much for that idea then." Lucas chuckled lazily, honestly not expecting her to be that good. 

"I have a better idea." Rachel informed him. "Take your shirt off." Lucas was taken back by her words. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna take advantage of you...  _yet._ " She smirked at him, as he reluctantly removed his black t-shirt. Rachel took it out of his hands and tied it around his head, ensuring that it covered his eyes. She placed the basketball into his hands and positioned him on the free throw line. "If you make this shot, I guess you can call it fate, destiny or whatever, but then I'll believe that you and Brooke are meant to be together."

"I really don't understand." Lucas added on. 

"Lucas, I am not blind. Number one: she totally made out with you in front of the whole school yesterday because she was jealous of me flirting with you. Number two: you kissed her back. Number three: you kept staring at her this entire night. Number four: she was obviously using that kid to make you jealous and number five: you  _did_ get jealous." Rachel told him, knowingly.

Lucas let out a brief sigh. "You got me." He raised one hand up in defeat, the other still clutching the basketball. "Rachel, I'm in love with that girl. I cheated on her before, and now we're close again, in fact, we're pretty much friends with benefits. Although, she calls it 'non-exclusive dating' but I only do it so I can have some essence of being with her, y'know. To be honest, the only reason I'm on this date is because I thought it might help me get my mind off her, as well as the fact that she wanted me to 'play the field.'"

"Then, I go back to what I said before. Make the shot, and you two are destined to be together." Rachel persisted. Hesitantly, Lucas tossed the ball at the hoop, removing his blindfold immediately to check the results. He removed it just in time to see the ball sail through the hoop, rattling the chains beneath it. "Good job. I guess you two are meant to be after all." Rachel admitted. "Good luck, Lucas."

Rachel was just strutting away from the River Court, when Lucas stopped her in her tracks. "Rachel" he began reluctantly. "Will you help me try and get Brooke back?" 

"Why, I thought you were never going to ask!" Rachel laughed, and rejoined Lucas, a smirk on her face.

* * *

 

Lucas came through the door at 12:26am. Brooke was sat on the couch waiting. "Oh my god, where have you been? I was worried." Brooke interrogated him. 

"At the River Court with Rachel." He replied bluntly. 

"Oh, I get it. She's turned you into a bitch now too?" Brooke put her hands and her hips and smirked sarcastically at him. "Great. Just what we need: two Rachels!" Brooke turned away, but was pulled back around by Lucas.

"So, what were you saying about round 2 before we left?" Lucas said seductively, but just as he said it, Koby walked out of Brooke's room, wearing nothing but a pair of Calvin Klein boxers. 

"Oh, Koby, I thought you were sleeping." Brooke stuttered out, seeing Lucas' expression turn from sensual to extreme anger in only a couple of seconds. 

"I'll leave you guys to it." Lucas raised his voice and stormed out of the house, leaving Brooke stood there speechless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been on holiday for two weeks, so I was unable to update, meaning a long chapter yay. Hopefully, it's enjoyable, but I did write it at around 1am, so sorry if there's any mistakes or it's just really boring. But, yeah, enjoy! :)


	8. Heavy Lies The Crown

_**"You told me that it wasn't personal. I traded everything for this and now it's gone."** _

* * *

"Lucas, we need to talk." Brooke pleaded. Lucas glared at her coolly in return. "I'll do anything to make this right."

Lucas clenched his jaw and fists simultaneously. "I think you've done enough." And with that, he walked away from the brunette.

Brooke's eyes started to form a layer of liquid, that was threatening to leak down her cheeks, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked away the tears. She was determined to not let this break her. 

Peyton and Jake walked up to her hand-in-hand. "Hey, Brooke" her best friend said happily. All Brooke could do was wrap her arms around Peyton, and bury her head into her shoulder. Peyton's hand moved away from Jake's and met Brooke's back, rubbing it soothingly. A wet patch started to form on Peyton's shoulder, from where Brooke's tears had met with the fabric of Peyton's shirt.

"He hates me." Brooke managed to utter out between her sobs. Peyton gave her best friend a sad look, and managed to manoeuvre her through the crowds of people in the school halls into the seclusion that was the girls bathroom. "I slept with Koby, and now Lucas hates me." Brooke stated, before breaking out into moans and sobs once again.

"Brooke." Peyton said, softly. "There is no way in hell that Lucas hates you. Man, the boy is totally infatuated by you. You made a stupid mistake, we all do, and it may take some time for him to heal, but I promise you, you'll get through it. Both of you will." Peyton lightly grasped Brooke's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "He loves you, Brooke. You love him too. Deny it all you want, but it's the truth. You can hide behind some dumb "friends with benefits" relationship all you want, but that's not going to change how you feel. Talk to him."

"I already did that, Peyton, and he totally blew me off." Brooke stated, sadly.

"Well then, you're going to have to figure out what you're going to do to prove your love for him. Now, go home, get some rest and think it over." Brooke nodded and embraced her frizzy-haired friend in a tight, long hug. 

"I love you P. Sawyer."

"I love you too, B. Davis."

* * *

 

Brooke was curled up on the couch, under a fuzzy blanket, watching romantic movies when Lucas returned home from school. The door slammed shut and Lucas almost walked right past Brooke. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked her, sternly. His eyes almost burning holes into her skull.

"I was sick at school." She told him her false story. Obviously she wasn't going to tell him that she'd been so upset about their dispute that morning, that she cried her heart out and couldn't stand being there any longer.

"Oh" was all he could mutter out.

"Care to make me some of your infamous chicken soup?" Brooke asked, with a soft chuckle.

Lucas' eyes momentarily softened, but then immediately retreated back to their previous 'if-looks-could-kill' state. "You know where the kitchen is." He told her harshly, making a small gasp exit Brooke's mouth.

"I knew you were going to be upset, but this is so much worse than I thought you would be." Brooke admitted, her eyes not leaving Lucas' for a second.

"Good." Lucas stated, venom filling his voice. Brooke got up and pushed past him, going into her room and locking the door, trying to get her closest to being able to lock out the world completely.

* * *

 

After a couple hours of silent sobbing under her duvet, and a short nap, Brooke decided that she couldn't just sit around feeling sorry for herself. She needed advice: from a man's point of view. She picked up her phone and dialled Nathan. After three rings, he picked up.

"Hey, Brooke!" Nathan said, cheerily. "I haven't heard from you in a while! How're you?"

"Hey, Nate." Brooke sniffled down the receiver.

"Brooke, what's wrong?" Nathan's voice soon turned from cheery, to extreme concern.

"Lucas troubles." She replied, almost adding a soft laugh at the end.

"What's he done now? I'll kick his ass for you, if you want!" 

"No, Nathan, that won't be necessary. This is more my fault than anything. I just need your advice."

"I'm all ears."

"Well, long story short, Lucas kinda walked in on me and Koby about to um 'do it' and now he's really mad at me and won't give me the time of day to try and explain myself or make it up to him and I have no idea what to do." 

Nathan let out a long sigh. "Brooke, Lucas is crazy about you, he told me so himself, but things like what you did don't go away instantly, not even with the power of love. If he's not talking then you're going to need to do something that will get his attention and make him realise that he's being an ass. Or do something to make him understand how sorry you are. If not, he's just gonna need time, okay? I understand what it's like, due to the whole Chris Keller situation, and trust me, this won't be easy on him."

"Thanks, Nate. Your help means a lot to me."

"Anything for you, Brooke." Nathan admitted, smoothly and, with that, he hung up.

Brooke flopped back on her bed, thinking about all that Nathan and Peyton had said. Well, she'd tried talking to him, and that wasn't doing any good. She could always give him some more time, but who knows how long he'd need and she wasn't sure if she could take much more of his evil glares and snide remarks. Now, all she had to do was think of something she could do to really win him over.

She lay down on the bed, remembering all the times she and Lucas had spent in that very room. All the memories they had created. When he broke up with her for the first time, the intimate conversations, the passionate sex, the innocent cuddling when one of them was under the weather. They had gone through so much together, a lot of it taking place right around the area she was lying in - and, in some cases, the exact area she was lying in. She smiled at the memories; she could remember them all so vividly, because she'd wrote them all down in her diary.

_Her diary._

That was the answer! Of course! She had written all of this down in her diary: the memories from the bedroom, her falling for him the first time, her not being able to move on from him, her such intense happiness when he'd invited her out for coffee and to the carnival, the way she got butterflies whenever they were together, the regret of not admitting that she loved him everyday. All of it was in her diary. 

* * *

 

Lucas felt light footsteps behind him. He knew it was Brooke. Before he had the chance to make any stupid comments, she started talking.

"This is for you." She said, holding out a leather book. 

"Um, no thanks. I have my own." He replied, a confused look on his face, still mixed with the angry front he wanted to portray. 

"No. This is my diary. I think you should read it." She insisted. 

"If I wanted a detailed account of you sleeping with Koby, I would've stuck around for the night." He yelled at her.

"You know what Lucas? If you actually stopped being such a stubborn asshole for one damn minute, and read the fucking diary, you might know that in here it talks about how heartbroken I was when you dumped me for Peyton, or how excited I got when you asked me out for coffee and to the carnival, purely because it meant spending time with you, or how I get butterflies every time we're in the same room together, how much I regret not admitting my love for you sooner, the fact that-" She was cut off by Lucas. 

" _Love?"_ He questioned. 

Brooke took a deep breath in. "Yes. If you must know, I love you, Lucas Scott. I never stopped. I never got the chance to tell you the first time, because you broke up with me right before I was about to admit it. I didn't stop loving you the whole time we were apart, not even when I found out that you'd cheated on me. I loved you when we went for coffee. I loved you when we were on the rollercoaster together. I loved you when I moved in here. I loved you when we had sex all those times. I loved you when I kissed you in front of Rachel, and the entire school. I  _still_ loved you when I was with Koby, and you wouldn't talk to me. And, most importantly, I love you now." A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Lucas stood up, and stepped closer to her, resting a hand on her cheek and wiping the tear away. "I love you too, pretty girl." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, they're together. I would have dragged it on longer, but I just can't keep them apart! Sorry, it took me soooo long to update, but it's here now. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter though, I know I did! :)


	9. Kids In Love

_**"We were just kids in love, the summer was full of mistakes we wouldn't learn from."** _

* * *

"Good morning, boyfriend." Lucas woke up to the sound of a sweet, yet raspy, voice beside him. He blinked his eyes wildly, fighting away the urge to sleep and sat up against the headboard of the bed. Brooke stood beside him, holding a tray in her hands. On the tray was a plate of freshly made pancakes and an assortment of anything you could possibly eat with them: syrup, lemon, sugar, even some chocolate and a glass of orange juice. "Breakfast is served!" She said, a vibrant smile planted on her gorgeous face.

"You made me breakfast? Wow, I knew there were reasons for keeping you around, other than just sex." Lucas teased.

"Well, I could just throw them in the trash.." Brooke suggested, about to turn around and leave.

"Kidding!" Lucas threw his hands up in defeat, and patted the the space next to him, issuing for Brooke to sit down.

Brooke took the offer and sat beside him on the bed and put the tray of pancakes down in front of them. She put a plate in front of herself and Lucas and started eating some pancakes, after lathering them with syrup and sugar, of course. 

"So, what do you wanna do today, pretty girl?" Lucas asked, before devouring his pancake, which was smothered with chocolate.

"Surprise me." Brooke replied with a smile.

"You got it." Lucas stated, with a smile, before planting a soft kiss onto Brooke's lips.

* * *

 That day, Lucas and Brooke turned up to school hand in hand. While walking down the corridor, people were staring at the couple intently: some with looks of jealousy, others with looks and confusion and other people just seemed to think it was cute. The hallway turned into a cacophony of girls grunting, declaring that they'd be better for Lucas and guys groaning now that they sexiest girl in school was off the market.

"Thank God you two finally figured it out!" A voice sounded behind the duo. It was, of course, Peyton, holding onto Jake's hand, a huge smile lingering on her slender face.

"Yeah, I've heard all about you guys and the drama. At least that's over now, hey!" Jake inserted himself into the conversation. 

"That's 'cause Peyton over here has a huge mouth." Brooke said with mock anger, glaring at her best friend.

"Oh, shut up. I'm just glad to see that you guys are together now." She said, smiling at the couple in front of her.

Lucas squeezed Brooke's hand. "And I don't plan on letting her go this time." He said sincerely, looking his girlfriend straight in the eyes. 

"Good. I didn't want to be let go of." Brooke said back to Lucas, smiling lightly and reaching up to plant a kiss on his lips.

"I'd say get a room, but Jake and I kiss in public a lot too." Peyton interrupted them and laughed.

"Ew, too much info." Brooke retorted with a scowl. "Anyway, boyfriend, we should get to English class." 

Lucas nodded, both couples smiled and said their goodbyes and walked off to their classes. 

"I'm really glad that we're together now." Brooke told Lucas sweetly.

Lucas caressed Brooke's cheek with his hand and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "So am I, pretty girl." He replied, pressing his lips against hers one more time. "Oh, by the way, I have a surprise for you." 

"Aw, yay! Hand it over." Brooke said holding out her hands. 

"I don't have it now, just go into the bedroom at 7pm." Lucas instructed her.

"I like the sound of that." Brooke winked at her boyfriend.

Lucas just shook his head at Brooke, and chuckled lightly before walking into their classroom.

* * *

At 7pm exactly, Brooke walked into the bedroom, expecting to find a naked Lucas lying on the bed before her. To her dismay, that's not what she saw. Instead, in the place of where she wished Lucas' nude figure would be placed, she found a small pink bag, with an envelope leant neatly against it. 

She opened the envelope and pulled out a card which read  _'Don't get your hopes up yet, what's in the pink bag is for later. You have a long night ahead of you, Brooke Davis. Go to 176 Blossom Rd, and say that you're there for Lucas Scott, if you know what's good for you...'_

Brooke sighed after reading the note, she knew there was going to be a lot of walking involved, but knowing Lucas, it would definitely be worth it. She opened the bag and pulled out the ruffled tissue paper, revealing the contents of the bag: a black lace bra and panties set.  _Of course._ Why would she expect any different? She admired the underwear for a while longer, before replacing it into the pink bag and setting off on her hunt. 

When Brooke finally got to 176 Blossom Road, she was stood outside a shoe store. Without hesitance, she entered. When it came to shoes, she was hooked; there was no way that she was going to be disappointed. She walked up to the girl at the cashier. "Hi, I'm here for Lucas Scott.." Brooke informed her, sheepishly.

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you. Hold on a moment, please." The girl replied, flashing Brooke a wide smile before heading to the back room. Brooke knew she should be excited: she was in a shoe store after all. A few moments later, the girl emerged from the back room holding a black box, that was fairly large in size, and handed it to the brunette in front of her. 

Brooke thanked the shop assistant and exited the store, she sat on a nearby bench and excitedly opened the black box; inside were the most gorgeous pair of black heels, alongside another envelope. Again, she opened the envelope and retrieved a small card from inside it, reading  _'I saw these shoes and immediately thought of you, so if you don't like them, tough luck. Put them on when you get to the next location: 42 Averton Street.'_

The cheery brunette smiled at the note, Lucas sure knew how to make her smile. Eagerly, she strutted in the direction of the next location Lucas had told her to go to. 42 Averton Street was an extremely expensive clothes store. She made her way inside, and was immediately ambushed my a smiley employee. 

"You must be Brooke!" She exclaimed, almost too happily.

"Y-yeah, that's me.." Brooke stammered out, caught a little bit off guard.

"I thought so, the boy that was here earlier described you perfectly. He was right, you are really pretty!" The employee informed Brooke.

"Erm, thank you!" Brooke replied, quite content with the compliment she had just received. 

"No problem at all!" She flashed a smile in Brooke's direction. "This, my lovely, is for you." She passed a large, rectangular box over to Brooke, who opened it expectantly. Inside was a beautiful, red dress. Brooke picked it up carefully, like a mother handling it's baby, and held it up to her figure, making her way over to the full-body mirror. It was incredible! "Don't forget the note inside!" The lady reminded her, handing her the envelope. 

Brooke hung the dress over her forearm and opened the envelope. The card this time read  _'I can't wait to see you in this dress, so put it on, along with the shoes, follow the trail and I'll see you soon.'_ What trail? Brooke thought to herself. First things first, put the outfit on, she quickly reminded herself. 

Brooke entered one of the changing rooms and pulled the dress on over her head. It looked amazing on her. It clung to her figure perfectly, outlining all of her sexy curves. It was long enough to keep her looking classy, but short enough to still give it that killer sex appeal edge. Brooke strapped the black heels onto her feet, the straps wrapped around her ankles like ivy. Looking in the mirror, Brooke realised how much Lucas had done for her and was going to make sure that she repaid him fairly. 

Now, all she needed to do was  _'follow the trail'_ whatever that meant. She exited the changing rooms in her new outfit, and the employee gasped. "You look stunning, Brooke!" She told her, with confidence. Lucas is one hell of a lucky man!"

"Yeah, well I'm one hell of a lucky girl." Brooke replied, smiling slightly. She thanked the lady for her help and left the store in her hot new outfit. As soon as she stepped through the door, she found rose petals scattered along the floor, directing her where to go next. ' _So cliché'_ Brooke thought to herself, but still couldn't help but smile at Lucas' attempt at being romantic.

* * *

Brooke followed the trail of blood red petals, and ended up at a gazebo. It was covered from head-to-toe in fairy lights, which were illuminating the lake that surrounded it. A dinner table and chairs were planted in the middle of the structure and had silver platters on it. Sure enough, Lucas was stood next to the table, waiting for his gorgeous girlfriend to make her long awaited arrival. 

Lucas smiled as he saw Brooke appear in the outfit that he had bought especially for her. "You look absolutely, gorgeous. I'm so glad I get to call you my girlfriend." Lucas told her sweetly, as she approached him.

"Shut up and kiss me." The brunette replied, hungry for his taste since the very start of the evening, but the urge had intensified ever since she had discovered all of the gifts he had gotten her. Their lips collided, moving in sync with one another. It was a moment of true passion: something straight out of a movie scene. Brooke's arms were slung lazily around her boyfriend's neck, and his hands were rested on her waist. "I.. don't.. deserve you." Brooke informed him, between kisses.

"I know, I'm great. You're lucky I like you." Lucas told Brooke with a smirk. 

"Seriously!" The brunette continued. "I honestly couldn't ask for better than you."

"Good, because I don't want any competition. You're all mine, Davis." Lucas replied, kissing her softly one last time. 

 


	10. Ours

_**"Seems like there's always s**_ _ **omeone who disapproves,** _  
_**They'll judge it like they know about me and you,** _  
_**And the verdict comes from those with nothing else to do,** _  
_**The jury's out,** _  
_**And my choice is you..."** _

* * *

"Lucas, wake up! Your mom is coming home from New Zealand today," Brooke exclaimed.

It had been a month since Karen had left Tree Hill to visit her boyfriend, Andy Hargrove, in his native country but it felt like years. So much had happened in the time she'd been gone.

"I'm awake, I'm awake," Lucas muttered, sleepily. "What time is it?"

"11:27am exactly," Brooke informed him. "Your mom's flight lands at about 2:30 this afternoon."

"So, why am I awake now?" Lucas asked, unhappy about the rude awakening.

"Well, since Karen is coming home, we kinda won't be able to share the same bed anymore," she explained, "so I was kinda thinking we could make the most of it for the next few hours..."

"Oh, I like the sound of that," Lucas said with a smirk, pulling Brooke down on top of him with one quick motion.

* * *

After a long while of passionate kissing, Brooke looked at the alarm clock on Lucas' bedside table. It read 2:51pm.

"Lucas, please tell me your alarm clock is like an hour fast," Brooke silently prayed.

"No, it isn't. How come?" He replied.

As Lucas responded, his bedroom door opened. "Honey, I'm hom-" Karen stopped in her tracks, as she saw the two teenagers lying in bed together, only bed-sheets covering their naked bodies. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry," she exclaimed, quickly exiting the room and slamming the door behind her. "Meet me out here in 5 minutes. Both of you," she yelled from behind the closed door.

Both Lucas and Brooke had turned an unimaginably bright shade of red. "That was SO embarrassing! Your mom is never going to let me carry on living here now," she said to Lucas frantically, as she started pulling on her clothes.

"Brooke, trust me, this is definitely  _way_ more embarrassing for me. But, we'll figure something out about you staying here, I promise." He pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt, planting a gentle kiss on Brooke's lips and grasping her hand. "Shall we?" He asked, ushering for the door. Brooke gave a gentle nod and walked out of Lucas' bedroom, her boyfriend following behind her.

Karen was sat on the brown couch in the lounge, looking towards the wooden floor and twiddling her thumbs. "Mom..." Lucas began cautiously, "we are so sorry about this."

"I thought I said  **no** funny business!" Karen yelled. "How could you be so reckless and disobedient?" 

"Because we're in love, Miss Roe," Brooke stated. "I'm madly in love with your son and I have been since before we even met for the first time, after Lucas' car crash. And he feels the same way about me." 

Karen's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Lucas, is this true?" 

"Yes, mom. It's very true," he admitted, moving closer to Brooke and putting his arm around her. "We're together now. We have been for a few weeks."

Karen sat down on the couch again and sighed. "Well at least I can say I'm glad you waited until you were in love, but it doesn't change the fact that you lied to me about being just friends and that you disobeyed me.

"I understand, Karen," Brooke said proudly, "and I will move out and find my own place, if that's what it takes to make you more comfortable with mine and Lucas's relationship."

Karen looked up at the loving couple stood in front of her. "I hate to say it, Brooke but I think that might be for the best."

"What?!" Lucas said, angrily. "You can't just kick her out on the street like that!"

"Lucas, it's okay," Brooke said, soothingly, placing her hand on the side of his head and stroking his cheek softly with her thumb. "I've had my eye on Nathan and Haley's old apartment for a while now, I'll just check if it's still available to let."

Karen sighed. "Thank you for your co-operation, Brooke. You're a lovely, smart young women." Karen stood up and hugged the brunette cheerleader.

"It's no problem at all, really. Just call it repayment for letting me stay here in the first place." She smiled sweetly at her boyfriend's mother, before retreating to the bedroom to pack away her belongings. 

* * *

"I am... never... carrying another... box of clothes... upstairs... ever again... EVER!" Mouth panted, sweat dripping from his forehead, as he leaned on the kitchen island of Brooke's new apartment. 

"You might have to..." Brooke explained apologetically, chucking a cool bottle of water to her friend. "But first, a five minute break."

Mouth caught the water bottle and opened it, gulping down several mouthfuls of the cool liquid inside, then sealing the lid once again. "So, how are things going with Luke?" Mouth asked the girl he had once been in love with. 

"Things are going surprisingly great, actually. I've got my own place now and there's no boyfriend/best friend scandals going on, that I know of. I feel like this might actually be it now, Mouth. I think I've found the one. I have a really great feeling about how this is all gonna turn out." The cheerleader opened up to one of her closest friends. "How are things with you, Mouth?"

"Pretty good too, thanks. When I'm not lugging your boxes upstairs, I'm dating Erica Marsh," Mouth informed Brooke.

"No way!" Brooke exclaimed in disbelief. "You're dating Erica and you haven't told me about it?!"

"I just figured that, since you two don't really get on, you'd be mad at me for dating her," Mouth said sadly.

"Mouth," Brooke began, "Erica and I might not be best friends, but me and you are and I am so incredibly happy for you. You deserve to be happy and, if Erica makes you happy, then I'm happy too." Brooke engulfed Mouth in a gigantic hug. He appreciated her friendship, she had never let labels and cliques get in the way of them being friends.

His thoughts were interrupted by Brooke clapping in front of his face. "Don't mean to bother you, Mouth but those boxes full of clothes won't carry themselves upstairs. But, just because I know how much you hate it, I'll throw in an extra 30 bucks in cash."

"Sold!" Mouth yelled, rushing down the stairs to collect another box, filled with designer clothes. 

On the way downstairs, Mouth bumped into Lucas, who was walking up the stairs. "Sorry, Luke. No time to chat, I've got clothes to carry."

"No worries, Mouth. I'll come down and help you in a moment, after I've spoken to Brooke," Lucas informed him, before continuing to climb up the steps. 

Lucas gently knocked on the open door, brushing a hand through his blonde hair.

"Broody! I've missed you," Brooke declared, getting on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on Lucas' lips.

"I've missed you too, Cheery," Lucas told Brooke, earnestly. 

"So," Brooke began, "try out the couch."

"Um, okay," Lucas said, slightly confused, sitting down on the couch. "Yeah, it's a nice couch?"

"No," Brooke replied seductively, clambering onto Lucas' lap, "I said, try out the couch." She began kissing Lucas passionately.

Just as things were getting heated, Brooke's phone began to ring. It was Peyton.

Brooke answered. "Hey P. Sawyer, what's up?"

"Brooke," Peyton responded frantically, "it's Jenny. She's gone missing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the first time I've updated in about 3 years. I started watching One Tree Hill all the way through again for the 3rd or 4th time, so it's given me some inspiration. I'm not sure if anyone stills reads this after all this time but, if you do, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you want from the story and what direction you think it should go in. All suggestions are welcome! Thanks for reading. -Stella


	11. A Different Kind of Pain

_**"A different kind of pain. Is someone there to hold you? Is someone there to take you away from me?"** _

* * *

 "Peyton!" Brooke yelled, as she ran up to her best friend, enveloping her in a gigantic hug. "Are you okay?!"

"I've been better," Peyton replied weakly, her eyes were bright red and puffy, clearly she had been crying. A lot. "We have to find her, Brooke. This is all my fault," she exclaimed, frantically pulling away from Brooke's hug.

"Oh, P. Sawyer, I'm sure it's not your fault!" Brooke replied soothingly. 

"No Brooke, it is my fault. I was out with Jenny at the mall and I turn around for one second and she's disappeared out of her pram," Peyton informed the brunette, "Jake won't even speak to me. We have to do something!" 

"Okay, Peyt. Luke is on his way to see Jake now and we will go back to the mall to see if she's still there, or if we can find out where she might've gone and who might've taken her." Brooke put her arm around Peyton and pulled her towards her tightly, as they headed towards Brooke's car.

* * *

Lucas sprinted up to Jake Jagielski's front door, knocking on it loudly until Jake answered. 

"Listen Lucas, now is  _really_ not a good time," Jake said as he opened the door a crack.

"I know about Jenny, Jake. I'm here to help in whatever way I can," Lucas responded, breathing heavily, after running all the way there. 

Jake opened the wooden front door fully, allowing Lucas to enter. They each sat down on a couch in silence. After a moment, Jake dropped his head into his hands and began sobbing uncontrollably. "What am I gonna do, Lucas? Jenny is the most important thing in the world to me and I let something like this happen to her.  _Peyton_ let something like this happen to her. How could she be so careless, Luke? What if I never see my little girl again?"

Lucas shifted over to the couch Jake was sat on, and hugged him. "It's gonna be okay, man," he said reassuringly, "we're gonna find her."

"I hope so, Lucas. I really do," Jake replied, still crying.

"Have you called the police?" Lucas asked Jake, pulling away from the hug.

"Yeah, I called them. They're at the mall now, looking around and taking statements, I think," Jake informed him, sadly. 

Lucas sighed. "We should go there now and help look around. We're not doing any good sat here." Jake nodded in silent agreement. They both got up from the couch and left Jake's house in pursuit of the mall. 

* * *

 Peyton and Brooke returned to the spot where Jenny was taken, right outside a clothing store on the first floor. Peyton had spotted a cute black top in the window and was looking for a price tag, contemplating buying it. Now she stared at that same black top and it didn't seem as appealing anymore, it just made her feel disappointed and angry. "How could I be so reckless?" She yelled aloud. "Jenny was kidnapped and I was too entranced by a stupid tank top to notice. I'm such an idiot." She began sobbing again, and rested her head on Brooke's shoulder for some comfort.

"Peyton, it was a mistake. These things happen. Please don't blame yourself. It's not your fault, it's the fault of the psychopath that took her!" Brooke attempted to comfort her friend, but Peyton wasn't conviced.

"Brooke, this wouldn't have happened if I'd have just kept watching her and not been so careless. It's all my fault." Peyton wiped away a few stray tears that were stinging her cheeks and chin.

"Excuse me, miss?" A tall man, in a police uniform, walked over to the two teenage girls. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. You say you were watching the child that was kidnapped here, when the incident happened?" He turned to the curly-haired blonde.

"Yes, I'm her babysitter," Peyton informed the officer.

"Okay, well I'll need to take a statement from you about this incident," he responded plainly. "Will you come over here with me, please?" Peyton nodded her head in agreement and followed the policeman into the clothing store, where it was now quiet. 

As Brooke sadly watched her best friend walk away to give a statement to the police, she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Lucas and Jake stood behind her. Without a word, Brooke threw herself at Lucas, hugging him tightly. "I've missed you so much, Luke."

"I've missed you too, pretty girl," Lucas responded. "Any news?"

Brooke shook her head, "Peyton's giving a statement to the police right now, but no news on Jenny's whereabouts yet." She looked over at Jake, whose already sad eyes immediately looked down, in order to avoid her gaze. Brooke wrapped him in a hug. "It's gonna be okay, Jake. We'll find her." Brooke reassured him, as she pulled him in tighter.

Without saying anything, Jake walked away from the couple and towards a police officer, presumably to tell them that he was the missing child's father. 

"I feel so bad for him," Lucas admitted, I can't even comprehend how horrible this must be. 

"Me too, but I feel awful for Peyton as well. She won't stop blaming herself for this. It was just a silly mistake. How was she to know that someone would take Jenny?" 

Lucas leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Brooke's lips. "It's all gonna be okay, pretty girl. We're gonna help them through this."

"Yeah we are," she replied, smiling sweetly at her boyfriend. 

"You're a great friend to her, Brooke. You're a great person. So kind, so forgiving, so gracious." He put his hand on her cheek, stroking it softly with his thumb.

Her cheeks turned a rosy red. "Ya really think so?" She asked, still blushing.

"I know so. I don't deserve you, Brooke Davis."

"Yeaaah, that part's true," she replied to her boyfriend with a wink. "I love you, Lucas."

"I love you too, Brooke." Their lips met again, taking them away from the awful situation they were involved in momentarily. 

But their moment of bliss was ended quickly, as Jake and Peyton walked over to the couple. "We know who took her," Jake told them worriedly.

"Oh my god, who?" Lucas asked his friend. 

"Nicky," Jake replied. Looks of confusion made their way onto the other three's faces. "Jenny's mother."

 


	12. Cold

_**"Looking back at me, I see that I never really got it right. I never stopped to think of you. I'm always wrapped up in things I cannot win.** _

_**You are the antidote that got me by, something strong like a drug that got me high.** _

_**What I really meant to say, is I'm sorry for the way I am. I never meant to be so cold..."** _

* * *

 

"I'm sorry sir, there's nothing we can do." A stout, chubby police officer, with a 5 o'clock shadow told Jake Jagielski.

A look of fury emerged onto the teen-aged parent's face. "What the hell do you mean you can't do anything? She kidnapped my daughter!" Jake exploded at the officer, his face turning cherry red.

"Sir, the lady claims that she is the child's mother. Is that correct?" The officer replied calmly.

Jake sighed deeply, shaking his head slightly. "Yes, she is but-" 

He was cut off by the officer. "Then I'm afraid there's nothing we can do." The police officer and his colleagues congregated and exited the mall. 

As soon as the officers had left, she strutted over. A girl in her early twenties, she was fairly tall and slender. Her jet black hair flowed down her back, swaying from side to side as she walked towards the four teenagers in front of her. A sinister smirk was planted on her face. Both Lucas and Jake looked uneasy as she approached. "Jake, you really need to hire a better babysitter. Something could have happened to our daughter, someone evil could have snatched her," Nicki informed her former lover, with a patronising tone.

"Someone evil did snatch her, Nicki." Jake snarled at the mother of his child.

"Oh you're so kind, Jake. Do you say that to all your girlfriends?" As she said this, she glanced coolly over at the tall, blonde girl stood beside Jake.

Peyton stepped closer to Nicki, who was still cradling Jenny in her arms. "No, he only says that to evil bitches who kidnap little girls in malls. Ya know, someone kinda like yourself." 

Nicki rolled her eyes at Peyton. "Honey, I'm sure Jake here isn't your biggest fan after you easily let someone steal our daughter. Anything could have happened to her!" 

Tears started to form in Peyton's eyes. She was heartbroken that she had almost lost Jenny and she was distraught because she knew that Jake wouldn't want to be with her anymore. Brooke Davis noticed that her best friend had began to sob so she chimed in. "Listen Micky, or whatever your name is, don't you dare talk to my best friend like that. This girl has been more of a mother to Jenny than you have been or ever will be. So, just because she made one mistake, doesn't mean you can act all holier than thou, when you've never been there for your child." 

Calmly, Nicki put Jenny down in her pram before stepping closer to Brooke and slapping her hard across the cheek. Immediately, Brooke lunged at the girl, her eyes burning with rage. Lucas grabbed his girlfriend by the waist to hold her back, Brooke's legs flailing in the air and she tried to escape his hold and attack Nicki. After Brooke calmed down, Lucas spoke to Nicki angrily. "Who the hell do you think you are to talk to Peyton like that and slap my girlfriend?"

Nicki stepped back, laughing to herself. "Look at Lucas Scott, coming to the aid of his women. But, wait, shouldn't that include somebody else." She started at the blonde boy, raising her eyebrow menacingly. 

Brooke and Peyton looked over at Lucas dumbfounded. He was staring at the ground, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "Lucas..." Peyton began, quizzically.

"...what does she mean?" Brooke finished the blonde's sentence.  

Lucas sighed, he didn't look up at either his girlfriend or his ex-girlfriend. "I met Nicki at a bar after Brooke and I broke up... We slept together."

"What?!" Brooke and Peyton said in unison, looking at Lucas in disgust. "I'm out of here," exclaimed Brooke, storming away.

"Yeah, I'm coming too," Peyton agreed, walking alongside her best friend angrily. 

* * *

It was a cool evening and Lucas Scott was sat on the steps of his front porch, his elbows resting on his thighs and his chin resting on his fists. He was contemplating the events of the evening. First of all, Jenny had gone missing; then they found out her mother had taken her, her mother who just so happened to be a girl he had a secret one-night-stand with after breaking up with Brooke; then, Brooke and Peyton stormed off after finding out about what happened. 

Lucas was devastated. He couldn't bear to lose Brooke over a fling that happened a year ago. He didn't want to lose Peyton as a friend either, but his main focus was on Brooke. At that exact moment, as if by magic, Brooke appeared in front of him, a sort of sad smile on her face. Lucas looked up at her from his seated position. 

"Hey, broody," Brooke greeted him, quietly, sitting down next to him on the porch steps.

"I'd say hey cheery but you don't look particularly cheery right now," Lucas replied sadly.

"I'm not sad because of what happened with you and Nicki, Lucas. I'm sad because I realised that I totally overreacted. We weren't together when you guys hooked up, so that's none of my business and it's not like you knew who she was at the time, you were more shocked than anyone at finding out she was Jenny's mother. I've made a lot of mistakes, Lucas, especially with you. I hooked up with a guy in your bed, for god's sake. I'd be a fool to lose you over something like this. I'm sorry, forgive me." Brooke gazed over at Lucas.

"Pretty girl, there's nothing to forgive. Water under the bridge, okay?" Lucas grabbed Brooke's petite hands, cupping them in his, protecting them from the harsh cold. "I love you."

"I love you too, boyfriend." Brooke couldn't help but smile. She fell more in love with him every single moment she spent with him.

"Stay the night," Lucas pleaded of the brunette, pouting slightly.

"Like I could say no to that face," Brooke said through a giggle.

The couple rose from the steps and planted a small kiss on one another's lips. Lucas put a comforting arm around his girlfriend's waist, leading her up the steps to his bedroom door. He smiled to himself. He was happier than he could ever imagine. Brooke Davis made him a better person and he wouldn't trade any moment he'd spent with her for the world. Although they were only seniors in high school, his gut told him that they would be together forever. Brooke Davis was the girl for him. And he was the guy for her.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is my first ever story on here, so let me know what you think! Brooke/Lucas are my otp, and I just had to write a fic about them, hopefully everyone will enjoy it. I'm also going to try and make it more dramatic, this is just the start, there's plenty more to come! Also, there will probably be more smut in later chapters, which is why it's labelled mature for now.


End file.
